Nachos!!

Ok, I mentioned taking some time off but I couldn’t help but post these! They were too good to keep to myself.

I have made these nachos twice in the past week. I probably have nachos more in a month than one should in an entire year. It doesn’t help that my favorite bar (The Avenue) is right down the street and they have delicious nachos for cheap. And when they have half off appetizer night, even cheaper (…obviously). They even include a big heaping pile of guacamole. Most places charge you big time for a teeny scoop. They also serve $1 burgers every night after 10pm and they are awesome too! Alright, moving on.

I bought two packages of corn tortillas from Trader Joe’s to make these chips (hence the reason why I made them twice in one week). They are super easy and taste so much better …do I say that a lot on here? Well it’s true.

First, the tortillas need to be cut into six triangular shapes…

I left them in a stack and used a sharp knife to cut them all at once, like so:

Once the oil is ready, you fry them in small batches to ensure even cooking.

After they do a quick drain on the paper towels, add a generous pinch of salt and they’re done!

I think these will stay fresh for a few days in an air tight container to be eaten later, but why wouldn’t you eat them immediately? And why would you have any leftover?

So…the nachos! Layer the chips and your favorite toppings onto a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Try to spread them flatter instead of piling up higher so the cheese underneath will melt. Does that make sense?

Broil for a few minutes until cheese is bubbly (watch carefully!!)

Serve with salsa and guacamole. The salsa I used was a chunky salsa from Trader Joe’s and the guacamole was home made. Next time, I will try and make my own salsa but this was faster. And to me, the faster the better when it comes to eating nachos at home

Read through all the directions before you begin. These cook up fast so you want to have everything ready!

Home Made Tortilla Chips

1 package corn tortillas (I used Trader Joe’s)

3-4 cups canola oil (or vegetable, peanut, etc)

Salt

DIRECTIONS

Pour the oil in a 3” heavy bottomed frying pan (~3/4 full) and heat until oil reaches about 350 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, test if it’s ready by dropping a piece of tortilla into the oil. If it bubbles and raises to the surface, it’s hot enough. Use extreme caution when heating oil, do not let it get too hot that it smokes and do not let any water go in.

While the oil is heating, cut the tortillas into six equal triangles. (I left them stacked and used a sharp knife to cut through all of them at once.) Prepare a baking sheet lined with paper towel to have close by.

When the oil is ready, fry the chips in small batches so they will cook evenly. Leave them for 20-30 seconds, they will start to darken a little in color. Don’t let them get too dark, as they will continue to brown when you remove them. Take one out with a stainless steel strainer. (Or a slotted spoon, tongs, etc. Just nothing made of plastic or wood.) If it is done to your liking, remove the rest and place onto the paper towel, immediately sprinkle a generous amount of salt onto the chips before the oil dries completely.

Repeat the process with the remaining chips. I highly recommend using them for nachos but if for some bizarre reason that doesn’t seem appealing to you, use to dip into guacamole, salsa or any other dip you’d like!

Simple Guacamole1 ripe avocado

Fresh lime juice, to taste (I typically use a whole lime, but I love it! So add slowly and do a couple of taste tests)

Garlic clove, minced

Salt and Pepper

DIRECTIONS

Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop out avocado from the peel.

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and pulse until everything is well mixed and your desired consistency. If you do not have a food processor a mixing bowl works well too. Add avocado, salt and pepper and mash with a fork. stir in the minced garlic, add the lime juice to taste and continue mixing and mashing until desired consistency.

*Double or triple the guacamole recipe as you like but it does brown quickly so try to only make enough for what you need. It’s so easy to make there is no reason to make extra for saving.